Digital Banking
Latest articles about digital banking in African payments and fintech
Telda and Mastercard launch integrated financial platform in Egypt
Egyptian digital bank Telda and Mastercard have launched a unified financial platform that combines payments and investment access in one app. The move aims to simplify wealth-building for Egyptian consumers and reflects broader trends in digital banking and financial inclusion across the region.
Nedbank Partners with Fintech Jumo to Launch AI-Driven Quick Loans
Nedbank has partnered with fintech Jumo to launch AI-driven Quick Loans, offering rapid digital credit assessments. The move aligns with a South African banking sector increasingly focused on digital innovation, even as the central bank prioritizes improving core payment infrastructure over launching a retail digital currency.
Nedbank and JUMO Deploy AI for Microloans, Targeting Unbanked South Africans
Nedbank and fintech partner JUMO are using AI to assess credit risk based on non-traditional data like mobile money history, offering small loans to South Africans without formal credit. The service aims to provide an alternative to high-cost informal lenders for an estimated 20 million people.
Nigerian Banks Launch Digital Products as Fintech Regulations Tighten
Nigerian banks are aggressively launching digital products to compete with fintech firms, a strategy timed with new regulatory constraints on the fintech sector. This shift aims to reclaim market share in digital payments by leveraging banks' established customer bases and compliance capabilities.
Interswitch Partners with Temenos to Scale Digital Banking Services
Interswitch has partnered with Swiss firm Temenos to integrate core banking software into its offerings, aiming to provide enhanced digital banking solutions to African financial institutions. The move aligns with broader industry trends of partnerships aimed at improving financial infrastructure and service delivery across the continent.
Damen expands digital financial services network across Egypt
Damen has expanded its digital financial services network in Egypt to offer over 500 services. The move comes as the Egyptian fintech market experiences rapid growth and intensified competition, with other players like Yalla Super App reporting significant user adoption and companies launching promotional cash-back campaigns.
Discovery Bank Reports 20% Increase in Digital Transaction Volume for Q2 2026
Discovery Bank recorded a 20% rise in digital transaction volume for Q2 2026. The growth comes as South African regulators advance a new authorisation framework for payment system participants, shaping the future operating environment for banks and fintechs.
Pepkor Receives Regulatory Approval to Launch New Bank in South Africa
Pepkor Holdings has received regulatory approval from the Prudential Authority to establish Pepkor Bank, a new banking entity targeting its low-income retail customer base. The announcement coincides with broader calls for digital payments reform in South Africa and the publication of a new draft regulatory framework for payment systems.
Diamond Trust Bank and Mastercard Launch Wearable Payment Devices in Kenya
Diamond Trust Bank Kenya and Mastercard have launched wearable payment rings and bracelets for the Kenyan market. The devices, linked to users' DTB card accounts, aim to provide a new, contactless payment option at Mastercard-enabled terminals.
Discovery Bank expands AI capabilities and reports R100m in fraud prevented
Discovery Bank is enhancing its AI systems and commercial partnerships to create an integrated financial services platform, a move accompanied by the prevention of R100 million in client fraud. The South African digital lender is leveraging its data analytics background to expand beyond traditional banking while addressing rising cybersecurity threats in the market.
Paystack Acquires Microfinance Bank in Nigeria to Expand Financial Services
Paystack has acquired Ladder Microfinance Bank, obtaining a CBN licence to expand from payments into deposit-taking and lending. The move reflects a strategic shift by African fintechs to offer integrated financial services and deepen relationships with business customers.
Paymentology and Chikwama Pay Launch WhatsApp-Enabled Neobank in Southern Africa
Paymentology and Chikwama Pay have launched a neobank accessible via WhatsApp in Botswana and Eswatini. The service allows customers to open accounts and conduct transactions through the messaging app, using Paymentology's infrastructure for card issuing and processing.
GoTyme Bank Completes Major App Migration for One Million Customers
GoTyme Bank has migrated one million customers to a new application and expanded its network of physical kiosks to over 400 locations. The move is part of a hybrid strategy combining digital banking with physical touchpoints, supported by its backers the Gokongwei Group and TymeBank.
Mambu's cloud platform underpins launch of Ghana's first Islamic neobank
Mambu is providing the core technology for Nyla, Ghana's inaugural Islamic neobank, launching as the country grants enhanced payments licences to fintechs like Fincra. The move coincides with calls from major Nigerian banks for deeper collaboration with fintech firms to advance financial inclusion across the region.
Wema Bank Marks Nine Years of ALAT Digital Platform
Wema Bank commemorates the ninth year of its fully digital ALAT platform, which now serves over a million customers. The milestone coincides with industry-wide discussions, highlighted by a recent UBA conference, on deepening collaboration between traditional banks and fintech startups across Africa.
M-Pesa Visa Card User Base Expands 62% Amid Shift in Spending Patterns
Safaricom reported a 62% increase in active users of the M-Pesa Visa card, though customer spending declined. Concurrently, the Kenya Revenue Authority is working to integrate its real-time tax systems with the M-Pesa platform to simplify compliance.
Paymentology and Chikwama Pay Launch Eswatini's First WhatsApp-Enabled Neobank
Paymentology and Chikwama Pay have launched a neobank in Eswatini that operates entirely within WhatsApp, offering cards, transfers, and bill payments. The partners aim to use the familiar messaging platform to advance financial inclusion in the kingdom.
Izwe Savings and Loans to launch digital float product for mobile money agents
Izwe Savings and Loans is developing a digital float product to provide liquidity support to mobile money agents in Zambia. The initiative seeks to bolster an agent network that is central to a financial inclusion rate now exceeding 80%, driven largely by mobile money adoption.
Capitec's digital drive reaches 15.3 million app users, AI saves R673 million
Capitec Bank has reached 15.3 million active users on its mobile application and prevented R673 million in fraud using AI systems. The South African lender has also partnered with Wise to offer its customers improved international payment services through its digital platforms.
Standard Bank expands cashless branch network in South Africa
Standard Bank is converting 50 branches in South Africa to cashless service points, citing a 23% rise in digital transactions in 2025. The move is part of a wider industry trend where banks are increasing automation while exploring new formats for physical customer engagement.
Dash Microfinance Bank Launches Mobile App in Nigeria
Dash Microfinance Bank has launched a mobile banking application to provide digital financial services to retail and small business customers in Nigeria. The launch aligns with broader industry efforts to use technology to advance financial inclusion across the continent.
TymeBank Completes Rebrand to GoTyme Bank in Global Expansion Drive
South Africa's TymeBank has rebranded as GoTyme Bank, signaling its transition into a global digital banking group with operations now extending to the Philippines. The move aligns with broader African fintech trends, including domestic inclusion drives like Bankit's zero-fee cards in Nigeria and regional payment infrastructure builds such as the new 10-year partnership between Nedbank and Mastercard in Southern Africa.
South Africa's TymeBank rebrands to GoTyme Bank
South Africa's TymeBank has completed a rebrand to become GoTyme Bank, adopting the name of its Philippine sister company. The change, registered in April 2026, is a strategic move to unify the brand under its parent company, Tyme, without altering customer accounts or services.
South Africa expands digital Home Affairs services via FNB branch partnership
South Africa's Department of Home Affairs is expanding a partnership with First National Bank to offer smart ID and passport applications at 22 bank branches. The move is part of a government strategy to use private-sector networks to improve access to digital services and reduce administrative bottlenecks.